modern technology, frankly it is a 24/7 news media. it is the fact that the members leave their families back home. you can't be a good legislator two and half days a week. you have to work at it. the combination of those things, it contributed to the partisanship and the gridlock that we have now. the answer is simple. it is called leadership. men and women of goodwill, conservative liberals, republicans, and the president -- they say it is an easy and we have to get results. >> so i want to come back to that. let's talk about the challenges that lay ahead over the next three to six months in the government. you have divided power, fiscal problems that you have to address. it's not unlike 1990. you are able to put together a pretty good package in 1990 that led to pave the way for it the deficit subsequently. something like that happen now? what was so different about 1990 than what we have now? >> well, i think it would be more difficult to do it. i came to the senate in january of 1977. when i came there, you had democrats and moder